School Surveillance: A teaching moment

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD

Published
10:00 pm PDT, Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Gig Harbor High School students got a taste of life in the 21st century, security state-style. To the credit of students and the school administration, they responded to the experience of surveillance overuse with an intelligent commitment to changes.

The school says its internal video surveillance system won't be used to inform parents about their children's behavior, as happened after a school dean spotted two girls kissing and holding hands. The official shared video of the incident, a minor violation of frequently violated rules against displays of affection, with one girl's parents.

The cameras are there for security and more serious disciplinary matters, not to enforce social strictures. The clear stand against the action by the school and the Peninsula School District sets a good standard for the future.

Even so, it was understandable that dozens of students staged a protest Monday. As The News Tribune in Tacoma reported, students expressed concerns about privacy and what they believe was discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Both are issues students will face repeatedly. While society may be making progress on discrimination against gays and lesbians, the privacy issue is at best a jumble. The proliferation of security cameras hasn't reached a point where every stroll in the park can be reviewed for inappropriate expressions of affection. But the kind of belated vigilance about cameras and their use that Gig Harbor High is now experiencing may be the only protection against a world in which what happens anywhere goes everywhere.